Question

A black widow spider hangs motionless from a web that extends vertically from the ceiling above. If the spider has a mass of 1.27 g, what is the tension in the web

Answer 1

Tension = 0.012 N

Step-by-step explanation:

If the black widow spider is hanging vertically motionless from the ceiling above. Then, the weight of the spider must be balancing the tension in the spider web. Therefore,

Tension = Weight

Tension = mg

where,

m = mass of spider = 1.27 g = 0.00127 kg

g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.8 m/s²

Therefore,

Tension = (0.00127 kg)(9.8 m/s²)

Tension = 0.012 N